Research proves that fraternities foster positive mental health, serve as a success accelerator for students, and engender tremendous loyalty and connection among alumni to support their alma mater.
We all know that the Fraternity experience matters, and thanks to the work of the North American Interfraternity Conference – we now have research to prove it!
Psi Upsilon is proud to be a part of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), a trade association of over 50 fraternities dedicated to supporting the fraternal experience on college campuses with advocacy, education and providing assistance with campus IFCs.
In recent years the NIC has collected data on a number of studies that have show the positive impact of the fraternity experience today. For years we’ve believed the fraternity experience matters and we’ve seen the significance it can have in the lives of college students and alumni, long after they graduate.
You can review more details on research on the NIC’s website, including links to the studies referenced.
Fraternities are an accelerator for success, in college and beyond.
Students spend 90% of their time outside the classroom. Fraternities capitalize on those hours by preparing students for success in college and in their futures far beyond what their peers experience. A study of thousands of alumni of diverse backgrounds shows this holds true regardless of an individual’s background or socioeconomic status entering college4.
Because of higher expectations, as well as the support and network fraternities provide, members experience greater gains in learning2 and graduate at higher rates than their peers6. Nearly 75% of chapters offer focused leadership development programming at least monthly, and 83% of members say their confidence in their leadership skills increased because of their membership1. So, it is no surprise that fraternity alumni are twice as likely to believe their college experience prepared them well for life after college4.
Fraternity members experience stronger mental health and wellness.
While college students are experiencing loneliness and depression at increasing rates, fraternities empower students and provide a strong support system. This family—this home—offers help and guidance when a member needs it most. Research shows these connections can create a strong sense of belonging, leading members to have more positive mental health and less anxiety and depression than other students5. And when members seek help, they are twice as likely to turn to a brother than anyone else1.
Fraternities create lifelong connection to one’s campus, community, and peers.
Fraternity membership connects students to their university in a way that nonmembers simply don’t experience. Brothers are more engaged inside and outside of the classroom than their peers2—they report feeling more supported by their faculty2, and nearly half serve in leadership roles across campus1. They’re also more connected to their local communities, with research showing they spend significantly more time volunteering than nonaffiliated students3.
Additional Resources
Studies referenced:
1. Fraternities & Values of Single Sex Experience; UT-PERC
2. The Greek Experience Revisited: The Relationships between Fraternity/Sorority Membership and Student Engagement, Learning Outcomes, Grades, and Satisfaction with College; Pike
3. Perspectives on Fraternity and Sorority Life; Positive Youth Development, EverFi
4. Fraternities and Sororities: Experiences and Outcomes in College, Work and Life; Gallup 2021
5. Mental Health and Wellness for Fraternity and Sorority Members; Biddix, Assalone and Grace
6. Greek Values and Attitudes: A Comparison with Independents; Baier and Whipple